John J. ("Jack") Durham
Hamilton, Hamilton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Larkinsville, Ala.; came to Coryell County, Tex., 1857, and Hamilton, 1860. Taught school here. Acquired much land; traded 200 cattle for C. C. Bumgartner's Store and Hotel. Helped found and direct Hamilton College, 1884-89. He was one of five men who each gave $5,000 for locating (1907) Stephenville North and South Texas Railway line through Hamilton. Married (1) Elizabeth McCutcheon, and (2) Mrs. Docia Mae Price Frost: was father of 17 children. Recorded-1972
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Alabama-born Jack Durham reached the Central Texas frontier around 1860, taught school, and built a fortune in land — famously trading 200 head of cattle for a store and hotel. He helped found and lead Hamilton College in the 1880s and was one of five men who each staked $5,000 to route a railroad through Hamilton in 1907. Father of seventeen children, he embodied the striving civic booster of the settlement era.
Why it matters
The fortunes of frontier towns often turned on a handful of local promoters who bankrolled schools and lured the railroad, deciding which settlements would grow and which would fade.
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Related people
- · John J. "Jack" Durham
Themes & tags
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